Ending of restrictions on Croatian workers



Ending of restrictions on Croatian workers

March 20, 2018

Commenting, Alp Mehmet, Vice Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said:

Levels of unemployment in Croatia and wage disparities with the UK will of course attract Croatians when restrictions are lifted, as happened with Romanians and Bulgarians in 2014. The Home Office has again missed an opportunity to stem EU migration in the way the electorate has called for. This is just another capitulation.

Note to Editors

  • Croatia's population of 4.2 million is less than the current population of Scotland (5.4 million), and much smaller than either Romania (nearly 20 million) or Poland (38 million). In comparison with other small Eastern European states, Croatia's population size lies between Lithuania (about 3 million) and Slovakia (about 5.5 million).
  • In the past few years, adult National Insurance Number allocations have run at around 10,000 a year for Slovakia and around 20,000 a year for Lithuania. Around 30,000 were allocated to both in their first post-accession year.
  • Low pay in Croatia is likely to be a driver for young people to come to the UK for work. Croatia's average wage (£705 per month in December 2017) is less than a third of the UK's (£2,200 per month in December 2017).
  • The unemployment rate in Croatia (12.7% in January 2018) is nearly three times that of the UK (4.4% for the quarter October-December 2017). Youth unemployment in Croatia is around double the level here - 24.5% in Croatia, compared to the UK's 12.4%.
  • In December 2017, it was reported by job site 'Indeed' that the UK remains the most popular country among Europeans looking to work abroad.

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